Full steam ahead

So fresh. So clean. So Bella.

It was spa day, and she was very cheerful after her bath. Who doesn't enjoy the toasty feeling after a nice warm bath or shower?

"Ahhhh yesss, this is the life", Belle says. 

Dad asks, "Can I offer the lady a hot cup of coco, a robe, or a pair of fluffy slippers, perhaps?"

Kiera and I got so many smiles today 😄

Each day Belle gets more playful and engaging. It's incredible just watching her grow. She's getting to be quite clever, too. 

"Prepare yourself mom and dad", a voice whispers in our ears. "Sooner or later, Belle will be on the loose. She will be running, doing laps around the kitchen, and bumping into the walls."

Whoever this voice is, he or she will not leave us alone 😊 

"Savour the moment...before you blink and it's too late." 

We know these days won't last forever. And we're desperately trying to hold on.

The months feel like they're moving quicker and quicker, almost gaining in speed and momentum. Like a train that must remain on schedule, life with this little passenger only seems to stop for brief periods. It's just enough time for you to catch your breath, enjoy a brief moment, and then it continues to propel forward with great speed yet again.

"All aboard!"

There are still a lot of things on the go at the hospital.

All of the teams and specialists are trying to finalize matters with Arabella. People are coming in and out of our room at a steady pace. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming. 

So far we know that Arabella will likely be sent home on oxygen. How much oxygen is yet to be determined. It means taking home oxygen tanks and a portable monitor. 

Her issues with reflux tell us that she'll definitely come home with a feeding tube. We need to learn how to insert and replace them. Or there's a chance that a nurse can assist us during scheduled home visits. We're not sure how all of that will look yet. 

Arabella needs her sugars to be stable following a 6 hour fast. That happens tomorrow. She can't go home unless she passes it. 

Her medications and supplements are being fine-tuned at the moment. The staff are trying to decrease her diuretics to see how that affects her breathing, and her vitamin and mineral levels.

Overall, we're sorting things out with Arabella, and the pieces are slowly falling into place. We might be one or two weeks away from our homecoming. 

It's finally getting real.